Marilyn Koolstra

The mixed CD played again as they drove to Los Angeles to catch their flight home. Marilyn sang along to the Carly Simon song, It Was So Easy. Now we're grown with debts and regrets and broken hearts and sentimental schemes. Now every tender failure seems to overthrow old dreams. Love can lead a normal woman to extremes. Eric turned 60 about six months later in March of 2007.

The mixed CD played again as they drove to Los Angeles to catch their flight home. Marilyn sang along to the Carly Simon song, It Was So Easy. Now we're grown with debts and regrets and broken hearts and sentimental schemes. Now every tender failure seems to overthrow old dreams. Love can lead a normal woman to extremes. Eric turned 60 about six months later in March of 2007.

Marilyn decided to throw him a birthday bash.

Marilyn decided to throw him a birthday bash.

Growing up in a low-income family in Scotland, birthday parties weren't a regular thing. And he'd made comment that he'd only ever had one birthday party before in his life. It was also significant, too, that his mother died fairly young. So that was sort of an anxious period for him in his life. I've got as far as my mother lived.

Growing up in a low-income family in Scotland, birthday parties weren't a regular thing. And he'd made comment that he'd only ever had one birthday party before in his life. It was also significant, too, that his mother died fairly young. So that was sort of an anxious period for him in his life. I've got as far as my mother lived.

And so it was a celebration, one of his life, his healthy life, but also the fact that he hadn't had a party before.

And so it was a celebration, one of his life, his healthy life, but also the fact that he hadn't had a party before.

She invited all their friends and neighbors.

She invited all their friends and neighbors.

Typical Australian party with the barbecues on, the braziers out the back, and everybody comes and goes and your whole house is filled with people.

Typical Australian party with the barbecues on, the braziers out the back, and everybody comes and goes and your whole house is filled with people.

Every gift Eric received reflected his love of nature in some way. His friends all knew hiking wasn't just a fun holiday for Eric. It's what provided his life purpose. He told Marilyn he was going to retire, so he'd have the freedom to travel and tackle even more long trails.

Every gift Eric received reflected his love of nature in some way. His friends all knew hiking wasn't just a fun holiday for Eric. It's what provided his life purpose. He told Marilyn he was going to retire, so he'd have the freedom to travel and tackle even more long trails.

Because there's more walks than I can achieve in a lifetime out there.

Because there's more walks than I can achieve in a lifetime out there.

But Marilyn wasn't always available or interested in the more ambitious hikes Eric wanted to do. In her absence, he had turned to Alan as his trekking partner. That is, until their falling out on the JMT. Alan was making overtures, trying to patch up their differences. But stubborn Eric wasn't ready to mend the fence. Instead, he encouraged Marilyn to quit her job and join in his adventures.

But Marilyn wasn't always available or interested in the more ambitious hikes Eric wanted to do. In her absence, he had turned to Alan as his trekking partner. That is, until their falling out on the JMT. Alan was making overtures, trying to patch up their differences. But stubborn Eric wasn't ready to mend the fence. Instead, he encouraged Marilyn to quit her job and join in his adventures.

But I was still energetic, passionate, involved in my teaching chores, and I resisted his hints to retire.

But I was still energetic, passionate, involved in my teaching chores, and I resisted his hints to retire.